International human rights in context : law, politics, morals : text and materials / Henry J. Steiner and Philip Alston

Includes bibliographical references and indexes

Part A. Contemporary human rights : background and content. Introduction to human rights issues and discourse -- Up to Nuremberg : background to the human rights movement -- Civil and political rights -- Economic and social rights -- Part B. What are rights, are they everywhere, and everywhere the same? : challenges to universalism and conflicts among rights. Rights, duties, and cultural relativism -- Conflicting traditions and rights : illustrations -- Part C. International human rights organizations. The need for international institutions and their challenge to notions of sovereignty -- Intergovernmental enforcement of human rights norms : the United Nations system -- Treaty Organs : the ICCPR human rights committee -- Regional arrangements -- Civil society : human rights NGO's and other groups -- Part D. States as protectors and enforcers of human rights. Interpretation of international and national systems: internal protection of human rights by states -- Enforcement by states against violator states -- Part E. Current topics. Massive human rights tragedies : prosecutions and truth commissions -- Self-determination and autonomy regimes -- Globalization, development, and human rights

Completely revised and updated to bring it up to date with recent events, this popular textbook incorporates a wide range of carefully edited materials from both primary and secondary sources. It includes judicial opinions on constitutional issues by the national courts; a completely new chapter on globalization and its implications for human rights; and expanded treatment of many issues including democracy, self-determination, and responses to massive tragedies through prosecutions and truth commissions

Steiner and Alston's widely acclaimed interdisciplinary coursebook presents a diverse range of carefully edited primary and secondary materials alongside extensive text, editorial commentary, and study questions. Within its conceptual framework, the book covers the major topics of international human rights: the basic characteristics of international law; evolution of the human rights; the humanitarian laws of war; globalization; self-determination; women's rights; universalism and cultural relativism; intergovernmental and nongovernmental institutions; implementation and enforcement; internal application of human rights norms; and the spread of constitutionalism. Its scope, challenging inquiries, and clarity make it the ideal companion for human rights students, scholars, advocates, and practitioners alike. This new edition takes into account the recent significant developments in the field and expands coverage in several directions. Its text and readings provoke discussion of the ongoing and emerging debates of the human rights movement. Themes such as the changing question of sovereignty, the waning significance of the public-private divide, and the alternative approaches of human rights and duties run through the book